A reader comments on Kentucky’s possibly self-inflicted schadenfreude:
The people who most benefited from Kentucky’s improved health case system are also among those who Republicans spend the most effort trying to prevent from voting — and most of them already have enough hurdles in their way. I’m speculating that a lot of the people who would have supported the Democrat opponent also have a hard time getting to the polls, or being informed. Or I’m all wrong and lots of Kentuckians will be reaping what they sowed in a couple of years to their great dismay.
In a press release from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Kentucky sits at nearly the bottom of the heap when it comes to ballot access:
Kentucky ranks 48th in a new report released today by the Center for American Progress Action Fund that gives each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia an overall rank and examines and assigns grades for the categories of accessibility of the ballot, representation in state government, and influence in the political system. The authors’ analysis reveals that these issues must be addressed in sum, not in silos. “The Health of State Democracies” report gives Kentucky an F in accessibility, an F in representation, and a D+ in influence.
Each state, including Kentucky, has areas for significant improvement, with all states specifically needing to address disproportionate representation—no matter where they finish in the rankings. The report also provides recommendations for improvement for Kentucky, including modernizing voter registration, removing structural barriers to full participation, and mitigating the influence of money in the political system.
The report evaluates Kentucky on measures such as voting laws, redistricting outcomes, campaign finance laws, fair courts, and others as vital, interconnected pieces of a state democracy. There are 22 factors in the three categories, which together paint a much clearer picture of the actual environment within Kentucky than when measured alone.
The referenced report, including a chart of results, is here. I do not know if this group has a good rep or not, but their bias is obvious and probably appropriate.
